Reference data
Nicotine per puff, measured across major vapes
A 20 mg/mL TPD disposable delivers roughly 0.05-0.08 mg of nicotine per puff. A 50 mg/mL US-style disposable delivers roughly 0.10-0.20 mg. Cigarettes deliver about 0.1-0.15 mg absorbed per puff. These are measured ranges, not marketing claims.
The table
| Device | Market | Puffs | mg / puff | Typical daily mg | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elf Bar / disposable pod (20 mg/mL, TPD) | UK / EU | ~600 | ~0.05-0.08 mg | 1.5-4 mg | Source |
| Elf Bar / disposable pod (50 mg/mL) | US / grey | ~5,000 | ~0.10-0.20 mg | 10-30 mg | Source |
| Juul pod (35 mg/mL, legacy US) | US | ~200 | ~0.15 mg | 15-40 mg | Source |
| Refillable tank, freebase 3 mg/mL | Global | N/A (mL-based) | ~0.02-0.05 mg | 2-8 mg | Source |
| Cigarette (typical, for comparison) | Global | ~10 puffs / cigarette | ~0.1-0.15 mg absorbed | ~1 mg per cigarette, 15-20 mg / pack | Source |
Delivery varies with puff length, coil resistance, and inhale depth. Ranges reflect measured means in the cited studies, not maximum possible values.
Frequently asked
- How much nicotine is in one puff of a vape?
- A puff on a 20 mg/mL disposable delivers roughly 0.05-0.08 mg of nicotine; a puff on a 50 mg/mL disposable roughly 0.10-0.20 mg. Actual delivery varies with puff length, coil resistance, and how deeply the user inhales.
- How many puffs equal a cigarette?
- Rough conversion: 10-20 puffs of a 20 mg/mL disposable, or 5-10 puffs of a 50 mg/mL disposable, deliver a cigarette's worth of nicotine (~1 mg absorbed). This is a nicotine-only comparison and does not equate other harms.
- Why is US disposable nicotine so much higher than UK?
- The UK and EU cap e-liquid nicotine at 20 mg/mL under the Tobacco Products Directive; the US has no equivalent concentration cap, so grey-market disposables commonly carry 50 mg/mL nicotine salts.
Related: How much nicotine is in a vape, Nicotine calculator.